Leaving school

Leaving school to move on to new things can be exciting and might be something you've been looking forward to for a while. It can also mean your life changes in a huge way - you might be moving back or away from home, starting work or uni and spending less time with your school friends.

What you might be feeling

Even if you're looking forward to leaving school and starting new things, it's normal to have a range of different and conflicting feelings about it. You might be feeling:

• stressed or worried 
• sad
• uncertain or confused
• angry (especially if you've found out you aren't able to do what you originally planned after school)
• excited
• overwhelmed
• isolated or lonely
• weird or as if you're in limbo
• pressure or expectations from yourself or others.

Suggestions for making the transition easier

The following suggestions are things you might do to make the transition from school easier:

Give yourself time - Any change takes a while to adjust to, especially a big one like leaving school. It might also be that you don't feel properly settled until after you start uni or work and can settle into a new routine.

Keep in touch with friends - Leaving school can be a time when your group of friends changes. It might be that you are not seeing as much of each other because everyone is going off in different directions. Your old friends are likely to stay friends even if you don't see them or speak with them as regularly.

Some ideas for keeping in touch, include using the phone, email or online chat and making a regular time when you can all get together for a catch up. Remember, as you start doing new things, you are likely to start making new friends too.

Chill out - Leaving school might mean you have a bit of time off before starting work or uni. After a huge year, this is a great time to chill out and reward yourself.

Keeping up other constant things in your life, such as sport, volunteer work, or other hobbies, can make the changes happening after leaving school feel less overwhelming.

Find your own space - Creating your own space can be increasingly important as you gain more independence after leaving school. This might be achieved through having more ownership over your time and your space in the family house, or by moving out. By talking with your family or other housemates it may help you to develop a respect for both your needs and theirs. It may be difficult for your family to understand why you need extra space and this can cause conflict. Check out the Conflict with your parents fact sheet and Moving out fact sheet for more info.

Getting a job

You might decide to get a job straight after school, rather than going on to more study. Check out the Looking for work fact sheet for more info.

Exams + end of year results

Often exam results are important in getting you to the next step and waiting for your results may be stressful. Managing your stress is important so you can relax and enjoy your time off.  If you are finding it hard to get your mind off your results you may find it helpful to talk to someone you trust. This may be a friend, family member or youth worker. Kids Help Line 1800 55 1800 and Lifeline 131 114 also have counsellors who are available 24 hours and the costs of the call do not show up on your phone bill.

More information

Check out the fact sheets on the left hand side of this page.